Adjusting device for pianos, piano-players, &amp;c.



J. A. WESER. ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR PIANOS, PIANO PLAYERS, &c. APPLICATIONFILED MAR.22, 1913.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

JOHN A. WESER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR PIANOS, PIANO-PLAYERS, 8w.

Application filed March 22, 1913.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, J 0113 A. lVEsnn, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Manhattan of the city of New York, in theState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAdjusting Devices for Pianos, Piano-Players, &c., of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing,forming a part hereof.

In the actions of pianos and automatic piano-playing mechanisms,including not only the devices by which the hammers are actuated fromthe finger-keys of ordinary pianos, but also the devices by which thehammers are actuated from the player-pneumatics of automaticpiano-playing mechanisms, considerable nicety of adjustment is required,not only in the setting up of av new instrument, but from time to timeas the instrument is used to compensate for changes due to wear andother causes. Such adjustments must usually be made by expert adjusterswhose sense of touch has been trained by long experience, and theadjusting devices are usually not easily accessible.

The object of this invention is to provide an automatic adjusting devicewhich requires only to be freed by the adjuster so that the necessaryadjustment or relative movement of parts to take up lost motion orlooseness may he made automatically by the movement of the adjustingdevice itself and the parts the re-secured in their adjust-ed positions.

The adjustment particularly referred to herein is that which must bemade from time to time between a finger-key or a playerpneumatic and thecorresponding abstract. either directly or indirectly. but there are ormay be other places or parts where or between which adjustment may beeffected by a similar device. The adjustment, more over, may be for thepurpose of securing a proper movement of one part with respect toanother or of limiting the movement of one part.

The device comprises a contact piece movable by a spring to effect thedesired movement of adjustment and means for securing such movablecontact piece in position.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawing in which several embodiments Patented Nov. 9,1915.

Serial No. 756,101.

of the invention are illustrated and in which- Figure l is a view insectional elevation showing so much of an ordinary playerpiano action asis necessary to enable the invention to be understood. Fig. 2 is adetail view on a larger scale illustrating more clearly the constructionof the adjusting de vice. Fig. 3 is a detail view in elevation of aportion of the adjusting device. Figs. a and 5 are detail viewsillustrating still another embodiment of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing as applied to an uprightplayer-piano of ordinary construction except so far as the presentinvention is concerned. A fingerkey or key-lever a is shown as pivotedupon the key-base in the usual manner and adapted to engage in usualmanner the usual abstract b. The latter is shown as connected at itsupper end to a rocker c which carries a jack (Z arranged to operate thehammer c, all as usual. Above the key-levers (z are shown the ordinaryplayer-pneumatics g which are connected with the wind ways andcontrolled from the tracker board as usual.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, each pneumatic is shown as having pivotallymounted thereon an adjusting finger or lever it, one end of whichunderlies and normally 'is in contact with a corresponding cushionedblock I) on the abstract, substantially as shown in Letters Patent ofthe United States No. 7 93,335, dated June 2'7, 1905. In that patentwere shown means for adjusting the finger or lever h with respect to thepneumatic, and although such means were readily accessible. neverthelessa nice adjustment of the free end of the finger with respect to theblock on the abstract could be accomplished only by the trained touch ofan experienced adjuster. In the present case, however, the mereloosening of a single screw causes the finger to adjust itselfautomaticallv to take up lost motion between its free end and the blockon the abstract and the tightening of the screw secures the parts inadjusted position.

The adjusting device comprises a contact 2' which is shown in Figs. 1and 2 as a headed pin mounted in the end of the lever 72 nearest theadjuster and provided with a spring is to press the head of the pintoward the pneumatic and consequently to press the corresponding end ofthe lever away from the pneumatic whenever the pin is free to move. Thestem of the pin, in this construction, forms transversely through ablock Z which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is seated in the end of thelever h and is provided with a binding screw mto secure the pin in itsadjusted position. The spring k is a light spring and serves only tomove the free end of the lever it into contact with the block on theabstract without lifting the abstract, so that immediately uponloosening the screw m the necessary adjustment of the lever is effectedautomatically and such adjustment is retained by setting up the screw m.

To facilitate the phrasing of the claims so that the improved structurecan be defined succinctly and the invention distinguished from the p'ior art, it is well to givea definition of certain of the termsemployed.

Wherever it is stated that retaining means are employed for maintainingthe spring under tension, it is meant that such means serve to make thespring entirely inactive so far as concerns any relative movement whichit might tend to produce between the parts of the player action. here itis stated that the retaining means are operable to release the spring itis meant thatafter such manipulation the spring no longer exerts anypressure on the retaining devices but that 'it is exerted upon thoseparts of the player action which it is desired to move a sufiicientdistance to take up the slack automati'cally. vVhen thespring is thusreleased it acts to move the adjusting lever freely with respectto themovable member of the pneumatic and without limitation of the movementof the adjusting lever by the retaining means.

In F ig. 1' of the drawing the lever h of the upper pneumatic is shownas in adjust e'd position while the lever in of the lower pneumatic isshown as in a position which requires adjustment, there being lostmotion between the free end of the fingerand the block on the pneumatic.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the position of the pneumaticg is reversed and the movable member of the pneu matic is shown asprovided'with a fixed ffinger k which carries the gripping block Zprovided with a binding screw m The adjusting pin or rod i passesthrough the 7 block Z and is provided with a springic between the blockZ and a collar 62. At its lower endthe adjusting pin 2' is operativelyconnected with one end of a lever k which is pivotally mounted and hasits free end underlying a block on the abstract 6, the ad- .herein.

justing device thus acting on a lever which is pivoted independently ofthe pneumatic in'steadof being on the pneumatic.

Various other embodiments of the invention will readily suggestthemselves in view of the foregoing description and the invention,therefore, is not limited to the precise details of construction shownand described I claim as my invention:

1. In a mechanism of the character de scribed, the combination with themovable member of a player pneumatic, an abstract, an adjusting leverpivoted on the movable member of the pneumatic and-disposed operativelybetween said member and the ab stract, a spring operatively interposedbe tween the movable member and the lever, means for maintaining thespring under tension, said means being operable to remove the pressureofthe spring therefrom and to release the spring fully with respect tothe lever whereby the spring acts on the lever to move it freely withrespect to said movable member of the pneumatic until the lever engagesthe abstract in normal operating positionand thereby automatically takesup all looseness between the pneumatic and the abstract. V I

2. In a mechanism of the character 'de scribed, the combination with themovable member of a player pneumatic,-an abstract, an adjusting leverpivoted on the movable member of the pneumatic and disposed op erativelybetween said member and the abstract, a freely movable contact pieceinterposed between the lever and the movable member of the pneumatic andcarried by either the lever or saidmovable member, a springab'u-ttingagainst either the lever or the movable member and acting upon thecontact piece to produce movement of the lever, and means for securingthe contact piece in adjusted position. v

3. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with themovable member'of a player pneumatic, an abstract, an adjusting leverpivoted on the movable member and extended beyond the member to engagethe abstract, a pin carried on the opposite end-of the lever andengaging the movable member, a spring actingvon the pin to causemovement ofthe lever,'and a screw to secure the pin rel'easablyinadjusted position. I V

This specification signed and witnessed this 21stv day of March A. D.,1913.

JOHN A. WESER.

Signed in the presence of- WINI IELD S. WESER,

WM. H. KEATING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Extents.

' Washington, DIG,

